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H. F. SHAW. TRACTION INOREASER FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

No. 353,714. Patented D60. 7, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY F. SHAlV, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO JOHN W. \VHITE, OF DEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, AND JAMES C. FARMER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

TRACTION-INCREASER FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,714, dated December 7, 1886,

Application filed April 12, 1886.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY F. SHAW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Device for Increasing the Traction of Locomotive- VVheels, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the acco m panying drawings.

The object of my invention is to increase the traction of the wheels of a locomotive in pro portion to the draft required to move the train; and it consists in the device hereinafter set forth, whereby the driving wheels are caused, by means of said draft, to support more of the weight of the locomotive than ordinarily supportedby them.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of so much of a locomotive embodying my invention as is needful for illustration of the same. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig. 3 is a section of one of the cylinders containing the springs,drawn 011 a larger scale.

Theloco1notiveof which parts are shownis one in which there are four driving-wheels. Fig. 1 shows the two driving-wheels at the fartherside, those at the near side being removed In the plan the four driving-wheels are shown. Two driving-wheels, A and B, are on the axle C, and two, D and E, are on the axle F. There is the ordinary frame, consisting ofthe longitudinal rails G and H and transverse pieces I and J. At the under side of the longitudinal rails are jaws a, which hold the .boxes for the axles-namely, the boxes K and L for the axle C,and the boxes M and N for the axle F. Each box may slide up and down between its jaws, as is common, the usual springs-which it is not deemed necessary to show in the drawings-intervening between the boxes and body of the locomotive. The ordinary truck, having the four truck-wheels 1), supports the forward end of the locomotive.

I pivot 011 the rail G at 0 a lever, O, and on the rail H a lever, P, at d. For convenience sake these levers are angular, the oneOhaving the arms 6 and f, and the one P having the arms 9 and h. Each of the arms h and f straddles arail -that is, is of two parts, one each Serial No. 198,623. (No model.)

side of the rail, each of which parts bears at its end on a box. To the upper end of the lever 0 is pivoted a cylinder, Q, and to the upper end of the lever P is pivoted a like cylinder, R. In each .of these cylinders is a piston or plate, i, to which is connected one end of a rod which extends through a hole in the end j of the cylinder. and the end j is a spring, k. The rods S and T extend to the rear of the locomotive, where they are fastened to a cross-piece, U, which is so supported that it may have a slight movement to and fro in a direction longitudinal with the locomotive. The rods S and T are shown as extending through the transverse piece J, wherein they may slide. At the middie of the crosspiece U is fastened a drawhead, Z,wherein may be held by a pin, m, the ordinary link, a,by which the tender and train of cars may be coupled with the locomotive.

Now, it will be understood from the above description that the draft of the train will act directly to swing the levers O and P upon their pivots and cause the ends of their arms h and f to press upon the boxes thereunder, and hence the tendency will be to raise the for ward part of the frame of the locomotive and that part of the locomotive which is supported thereby, bringing the weight thereof upon the boxes K and L, and therefore upon the wheels A and B. Thus that part of the weight of the locomotive which when there is no draft by the train is supported bythe truckwheels will be brought to bear upon the drivingwheels to a greater or less degree, according to the amount of said draft, and hence the traction of the driving-wheels will be proportionally increased.

The cylinders Q and R and springs therein are merely to provide a simple device whereby there may be certain elasticity between the place of coupling the train and the levers O and P, to prevent breaking the mechanism under a sudden strain. Such elasticity might be provided by other well-known devices, which might be interposed between the above-named places of connection. So, too, there may be other modifications and a' device he produced equivalent, substantially, to that described Between the piston or plate zabove in detail, and one embodying myinvention.

Iielaim as my invention- 1. A lever interposed between the frame or 5 body of the locomotive and an axle for the driving-wheels, and connected with the tender or train, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.-

2. A lever pivoted on the frame of a loeomo- 1o tive, bearing upon a box for an axle, and con-' nected with a device for coupling with the .tender or train, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. In a'locomotive, a lever pivoted to the 10- 15 comotiveand bearing at one end on a box for an axle of the locomotive, in combination with a device embodying a spring for connecting the other end of said lever with the tender or train, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination of levers O and P, each pivoted on the frame of the locomotive, boxes Kand L, eylindersQ and R,containing springs,

rods S and T, and cross-piece U, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

HENRY F. SHAW.

Witnesses:

' GEo. G. PROCTER,

EDW. DUMMER. 

